Work-clamping table.



m. TRGKA, WORK CLAMPING TABLE, APPUCATION FILED AUG. \5. X917v PatentedNQv. 6, 1917.

' 'an/ Zum UNITED PATENT ,orEicn- FRANK J. maciza, or oMAHafNEBRAs'KA.

AW'oaK-cniiisiriixrcr TABLE.

Application filed August 15, 1917. Serialio'. 183,302.

To all lwhom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. TRCKA, a

citizen .of the United States.. residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new Vand useful Improvements .in IVork-Clamping Tables, of which the-following is aspecicatiozn My inif'ention relates to ,a work-bench orv workclamping table adapted for setting up .and holding framework of a rectangular form, such as `grain doors and the like,'said bench or table being provided with clamping-means under the control of workmen atl opposite portions of the table whereby the strips or' pieces which enter into' the construction of the door or other rectangular form -may be securely clamped together,

while being supplied with battens or other pieceswhile the parts are being nailed to? gether to form. a strong ever and tight door and one which will prevent the leakage of grainor'other ine'material when the door is used in-a grainfcar, or the like.

-Various work-holding devices have here-l tofore been employed in the4 construction of grain-doors and other rectangular forms and means have been furnished these devices for clamp-ing together the parts which enter into the grain door o'r other form construetion. The, device I amabout to describe has been very extensively employed and has released'with very. little, loss of time, which I bench or tableprovided with is quite important in the manufacture of grain doors; also, the cost of ii'iaking-the` present device yis small and ythe device is strong and does 'not readily get ont of order or necessitate repeated repairs.

VIn the' accompanying drawings forming.

part of this specication and'in lwhich simil reference charactersindicate like arts ar Y p L'sideedges ofthe initialboarl offthe pro-' posed door, I' prefer -to seci'ire along-the loriin the several views; l

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work my improved clamping mechanism..

Fig. 2 is anV end view-of the-same., `In carrying' out my invention, I 'provide a substantial framework of any desiredfdif' mensio1isf and'fof sucli construction as to give stability thereto. Inthe'l form` of de- .speciacation of Letters ratent. Patented Novf'y-191'7, y

vice showi'i',lv the framework consists oflongitudinally extending bars, 10, appropriate cross bars, 11, and-upright bars, v12, these -several bars being securelv nailed or other-V wise secured. together so ,as to givegreat rigidityto this supporting frame structure. 'l

The. dimensions vof this .frame will` vary according to the dimensions ofthe doorl or structure to be 4sripp'ortedv therein, l andlience it will be understood that I amat liberty to Lise any 'length and wi'dthof `frame which may be desirable for fan' intended purpose. On top ofthe upper cross bars, 11, which as shown'areat the vendsand middle por- -tions o f-tlie supportingframe and. which.

bars may -be ofany desired number dis- I posed crosswiseaalong. the length vof the frame, is placedthe table o'rworking sur-. face, 13, which may-be formed lof boards', but

which I prefer tornake of a metal plate adaptedf lto clench. the-.nails driventlirough l the boa-rds vassembled"thereon, said plate constituting a suitable sriiocith ltabular siir` fa'ce upon 'which thestri'ps or boardsf'which enter into. the construction ofthe grain ,door or other rectangular 'structure 'tob'e biiilt,

are laid', this tabular surface being lsecurely -rss fastened to the cross bars, 11,3 or otherwise rigidlyV secured inplace.

'At one side, it will V'be-observed that the ii'pper ends of the'uprights, 12, are'exteiided i above theplaneof' theytopV surface of the table, 13, an'd'hen'cetheCinnersurfaceszzof 1 these projectingends may'ffor'm abutments, or guides for the side-)edge ofthefiriitialf door board or `strip', it" bein'gunderstood,v

that one end ofthe table/ is pro\'ided'witli, another abutment or-stop, 14, against-which v the ends' of,4 the, boardsto v be --assenibled'and a nailed. together/abut. "The opposite end voffsaid tablejis without stop andiszopensoithat should-.there be any .irregularity iii the@v lengthfof thev boards used, the p'ro'jectiiig.`V

ends of these boards'may be'saw'ed ordressed:

uniformly by .an attendant..

: Instead of-'iitilizing the proJectiiigiends'of the uprights as stops or abiutmentsyfor `the fits closely against `the-innersurfacefof the projecting portions'jofthefpos't andi'sQsef iiof son

ploy a clamping mechanism of vnovel form bpard orming the stop and guide for the side edge of the initial board ofthe proposed door-structure.

The opposite side of the table is devoid' of longitudinally extending bar or stop so as to permit the boards'or strips whichienter into the proposed door-structure to be assembled `from this side and to be laid to-I gether edge to edge over the surface of the table, and in order-l to iirmly hold these boards in tight edgewise relation, and uniormly so that they can be appropriately nailed or otherwise secured together, l emtions of the corner posts at the opposite side of the table and being provided with an extension 17, which form substantially ya treadle for an operators foot. In the form o device shown, the treadle is an extension ci a horizontal bar, theoppositeY end of 'which is connected by a vertical bar, 18, to

the lever at a point below itspivotal center. This construction givesA added weight to the free end of the lever and thus-facilitates the ease with which the lever may be operated.

It will be understood that one of the before described levers is disposed at each end f of the supporting traine, the upper ends of these levers being connected by a bar, 19, to

v. the inner face of which is secured a clamping bar, 20, which preferably stands on edge and has suiicient height that when it is closed against the adj aeen't edge of the table itwill proj ect above the plane of the face of the table and of the boards or strips assembled thereon so that the boards are confined along one side' by this clamping strip and along the opposite and corresponding side by the bar, 15, and at one end by the cross-bar, 14. This cross-bar, 14, has a recess, 14, which enables the operator to insert the claw vof his hannner, or a like tool, and force the assembled door endwise, to thereby enable an operator at the other end o: the table to readily remove the door and load itlonto a truck or otherwise.

1n operation, the weight of the clamping bar is utilized to cause this bar to normally drop away from the adjacent edge of the table, although the lever may be positively raised to this same purpose, it desired. Generally the clamping bar has 'suflicient weight to overcome the weight of the lever and hence when the 4pressure of the operator foot is removed from the treadle portion o the lever, the clamping bardrops away from Lacasse the table and the boards or strips which are to enter into the door construction are assembled on the table edge to edge, the initial board bearing edgewise against the longitudinal stop or guide, 15, and the ends of thel several boards abutting against the end stop le. When the desired number of boards several boards securely together. When this has been accomplished, the lever mechanism may be released when the clamping bar automatically drops away from its side of the table and the assembled door may be readily and quickly removed.

From this description it will be understood that there are two nailers stationed at opposite portions of the table, and when the face boards for the proposed grain-door are laid on the table, bl, these nailers put their weight on the/lever portions of the clamp andlthe'reby draw the clamp tightly against the boards, .forcing them closely together, to thereby prevent the grain or other line material from leaking out from the ends of the door when said doors are assembled in the grain or other car,'a condition which is present in many of the grain doors now in use and has been the source of complaint and of claims against railroadV companies for loss of grain in transit.

Among the advantages which can be urged tor the present simple construction are: The position of the clamp does not in any manner interfere with the worlr of the nailers, who are able to. readily apply and release the clamp from each end of the table, thereby saving time and increasing the output of the device 25 to 50%. The cost of the clamp is very small and in fact the construction is such that'the table and parts thereof can be readily made by the nailers themselves.

The :clamp is strong and seldom needs repairs, and. when repairs are necessary they may be easily donewith a saving or considv erable time.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. ln a device of the character described,

the combination with. a supporting framework having an abutment or stop along one' fof its upper sides and anmabutment or stop across one iend, and a table or surface on whiclnboards or strips are assemblededgevwise to make up a, rectangular structure, of

eneeee a Clamping mechanism oomprising levers at opposite ends of the framework and pivotallvY secured theretoLtlie upper ends'of said levers being,` connected together, and a clamping bar fixed to the upper ends of the levers and extending" parallel with the ad-A jacent side ofthe table and adapted to be moved toward and from said table to engage and release an adjacent. board or stripv thereon. Y

2. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a supporting framework, comprising longitudinal "and cross# bars and end andV intermediate"'iiprights, a fixed table, and stops` extending along one end and one side of the table, the opposite side and end ofA the table being devoid ol stops,'of a leverat each end of the frame-v ivorl pivotellv secured below the-table and having .the lower ends'serving for the application yof an operatorsfoot, a barextending between the vripper ends of the levers, and a clamping-bar secured to the lastnamed bar adapted to close against the con- -iiXed table, and stops extending along one end and one side of the table, the opposite side and end of the table being devoid of stops, of a lever mechanism pivoted on the lupper portion of `the framework, 'and a clami'nngz; bar on the upper end of the lever mechanism and movable thereby into and or the table and adapted to-edgewise clamp together boards arranged in abutting relation on the table.

. ln testimony whereof I aliix signature. FRANK J. TRCKA.

Vout o f'engagement' Witlrthe adjacent side i 

